Customer Reviews

Open Sky

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

To find music like this is a revelation. I don't ordinarily listen to "Christian contemporary" music and can't tell you why I wandered down that aisle of the store, or why this CD caught my eye. But what I found blew me away! The music is awesome -- similar maybe to Clannad and Capercaillie in their more pop-oriented incarnations, but with a heavier prog-rock side as well. And the lyrics -- I've heard nothing like them. Deeply Christian, but not at all in the shallow, sloganeering, sophomoric way that's typical of music that shares the bins where I found this. Deeply Christian, and so beautiful, so positive, so uplifting, so worshipful, so reverent, so filled with love for God and gratitude for the goodness of His creation and His people... It's music that will make your hair stand on end and put tears in your eyes. What grace to find something so precious -- yes, in this cynical, faithless world, where unbelievers and facile fundamentalists spar, there are still Christian arists whose faith just makes the beauty of truth flow out of their hearts! Iona, I love you -- thank you!

This album, like all of Iona's work, is indescribably beautiful. On this release they refine every element of their sound, bring Joanne Hogg's haunting vocals to the forefront, and continue the simply unbelievable solo work. Iona's musicianship is probably the best there is -- I can think of no other group that can match them in that respect. They merge myriad styles in their music, most notably celtic, rock, progressive, new age, & of course the Christian faith that inspires it all. Contemplative, intelligent lyrics, soaring synth, guitar, and vocals, and the overwhelming feeling that you are listening to music that has been sent straight from heaven. People of any faith (or none at all) can enjoy this album equally, because the focus is on the beauty of the music, not converting or reaching out to people (though if you want it to, it is very capable of doing just that).

Here's a quick rundown of the tracks:

"Woven Cord" is a studio version of the title track from their live album of the same name. It's an instrumental, and a great opening point for the album.

"Wave After Wave" has a beautiful melody, great lyrics, and several impressive solos, especially the tin whistle.

The rythmic chorus in "Open Sky" will stay in your mind long after the CD stops spinning.

"Castlerigg" is by far my favorite track on the CD, opening slowly, then going into a chant/bagpipe sequence. Next a soft acoustic guitar and violin melody plays in the background as Joanne whispers. As the section picks up the bagpipes return in an unbelievably fast jig to close out the song.

The instrumental "A Million Stars" deftly conveys the feeling of floating out in space and seeing the wonders of the universe around you. A violin melody repeats throughout as synth's build and then release the song. Simply breathtaking.

"Light Reflected" is possibly the most progressive sounding song on the album. A great chorus.

"Hinba" is a song of an Irish saint's traveling by sea to an island called Hinba. Yet another wonderful melody, and something of a folk type feeling in some sections.

The Songs Of Ascent should all be taken as one track, totaling over 22 minutes. This is Iona's most ambitious piece yet, and they somehow manage to pull it off surprisingly well (as always). A mix of synth, orchestra, distant drum beats, irish instrumentals, piano, and some of the best melodies on the CD, all melded together seamlessly.

"Friendship's Door" is a fitting close to the CD, and it ends with sections of the CDs other tracks phasing in and out, as if heard while changing radio stations. It leaves you with a great sense of closure.

All in all, this is an exceptional album, and should not be overlooked by anyone who is even remotely interested in music. Iona is (believe it or not) even better live, so if you have a chance to see them, -do so-! In the meantime, buy this CD! I'd love to hear other Iona fans thoughts on this album, so drop me a line!

Iona is a band that demands attention and concentration. Sure, their striking mixture of Celtic melodies, progressive rock, and (in older releases) jazz sometimes produces serene pieces that serve as soothing, calming background music (as in Open Sky's denouement, "Friendship's Door"). But if you only let Iona play in the background you'll miss the richness and careful craft evidenced in each of their albums.

Each of Iona's studio albums (Iona, The Book of Kells, Beyond These Shores, Journey Into the Morn, and now Open Sky) deals with a different theme relating to Celtic Christian history. This time around, the band draws its inspiration from Columba's mystical experience with God on the isle of Hinba:"This is where you prayed and Heaven's light shone down/This is where you sang the angel song ... Here you came to make your fast/Prayed for mercy, 'til at last/You heard the word you waited for" (from "Hinba"). A liner note on the inside of the CD jacket provides the listener with additional information on this event. Listening to and reflecting on Iona's albums can be an educational experience!

But Iona is never satisfied to write just one song about such an event. Whatever they choose as the theme of their album becomes the inspiration for several tracks or even the entire album, with a mixture of songs both directly related to the subject matter and ones that indirectly draw contemporary applications from it. "Hinba," not surprisingly to long-time Iona listeners, is followed by the 3-part "Songs of Ascent," a musical exploration of Columba's prayers and, by extension, any prayers that draw us closer to God. And just as fervent prayers strengthened Columba's faith in the 6th century, we live in a world where people ("Friendship's Door"), moonlight ("Light Reflected"), and all of creation ("Wave After Wave," "A Million Stars") point us to God and renew our faith. Through this faith, we long for the Heaven (the title track, "Castlerigg") from which Columba received healing.

The songs themselves point out another one of Iona's great strengths: Joanne Hogg's mystical, poetic lyrics. "An emptiness for You to fill/My soul a cavern for Your sea" she writes at the climax of "Songs of Ascent Part One," and these lines neatly sum up her outlook on life as evidenced in almost all of Iona's lyrical pieces. She knows all too well her (and our) need to respond to and be filled by God. On this album, that frequently means recognizing His goodness: "I feel the depth of your love and devotion/My heart like the bird that dives into this ocean blue" ("Wave After Wave").

On Open Sky, as always, such thoughts are communicated through Ms. Hogg's beautiful, ethereal, and often breathtaking vocals. She is backed by impeccable musicianship from Troy Donockley, Frank Van Essen, Phil Barker, and, particularly, band leader Dave Bainbridge. Any Iona album introduces you to a wide variety of sounds and moods, and you never know what to expect from one moment to the next. Iona mixes songs with instrumental pieces, and Open Sky contains quite a few of the latter.

This is an excellent, outstanding album that suffers only in comparison with the band's previous albums. The theme of this album is not arranged as intricately as in previous ones, and Ms. Hogg evidently fought writer's block through a good portion of the creation process. Also, after a long sabbatical that saw some personnel changes, it seems on this album that Iona is just getting warmed up again. Still, a lesser Iona album is head and shoulders above just about any other out there. Don't hesitate to run out and buy this one!

Iona continues to improve and to break new ground. I thought that Terl Bryant's departure would hurt the group but Van Essen is a suitable replacement; his less artistic drumming is compensated for by the extra dimension added by his violin. Joanne's voice is better and better with each album, as is Troy Donockley's piping and Bainbridge's guitar. Some different directions than previous Iona albums but if you like Journey Into the Morn you'll probably like this one.

this newest release from Iona is more progressive with less singing & more instrumentals. Iona normally writes, or should I write "Uses" lyrics of the ancient Celtic Christian past, not the typical modern mediocre of Christian "Pop" which I never listen to. There are references to Christ, but more allegorical or universal (Catholic/Eastern Orthodox Mysticism). After studying the lyrics about silent prayer & darkness into light, Iona seems to reflect the philosophy of either "The Cloud of the Unknowing" or maybe "St. John of the Cross". Iona's music is more of a focus on certain Celtic Christian saints (this CD has some songs about St. Colombo) & their love of God, harmony of nature, & life.

....more guitars ? I SAY THATS GOOD more progressive ? YES PLEASE
new drummer? I`M A DRUM TEACHER AND I CAN TELL YOU THIS GUYS GOOD
more subtle references to Christ ? THE RELIGIOUS TONES ARE THERE
ITS JUST MORE IN REACH TO THE MASSES (don`t leave you feeling bashed with a bible to much). I congradulate and thank IONA
for making the best music they have produced to date , this CD goes down as an inovative true classic deserving of better reviews than I can write or anyone else by the looks of things.
IONA HAVE ALMOST REACHED PERFECTION

Sweeeeet... wonderful. Inexpensive transportation to the heart of Iona... another place, another time... beautiful pure voice, reverb as deep as the cover art... Rich. Lush. Cinematic. Wonderful. Simply wonderful. And 23 seconds short of overflowing the CD. I'm hooked.

I have all the CD's by Iona and this is my favorite.
In fact of all the 400+ CD's I own, I listen to this one three times as much any other.
It's a great CD to listen to on long drives.
I never get tired of hearing it again.

I think the reason is that it has unified musical theme.
It is like an orchestral celtic rock symphony.
Much of it is instrumental with vocal pieces placed like jewels in stream of sparkling water.

Iona has been recording and playing live for over 15 years.
This CD reveals their artistic mastery and originality.

This is the first Iona album I bought and to be honest, when I first heard it, it didn't make much of an impact on me for whatever reasons. After putting this recording aside, I decided to pick up their self-titled release along with "Book Of Kells" and "Beyond These Shores." This is where I fell in love with the band. The great instrumentation of those early releases really resonated with me. After several years passed by, I gave "Open Sky" a few more listens and I understood it better this time around. I think the absence of Mike Haughton (saxophones, flute) felt kind of strange as when Dave Fitzgerald left he was replaced with Mike almost immediately and their musical style, though different with Mike, still had that soaring, lyrical sound they had previously explored on their self-titled album and "Book Of Kells." What "Open Sky" offers in the saxophone's place is Troy Donockley's Uillean pipes, but these are used sparingly as he also plays acoustic guitar, low whistle, harmonium, among other instruments, but he does get a chance to shine on "Woven Cord" and "Castlerigg." Another surprisingly beautiful new sonority added to the band is drummer Frank Van Essen's violin playing which gets a chance to shine on "A Million Stars," though Frank does play violin on "Beyond These Shores," his role here is much more upfront and dominant.

"Open Sky" looks forward in Iona's musical development, but I think each album offers the listener something different and unique. Iona certainly aren't a prolific band, so whenever they release a recording, it's going to be a special occasion. Here is the lineup for "Open Sky":

Joanne Hogg - Vocals, Piano, Keyboards
Dave Bainbridge - Guitars, Keyboards, E-Bow & Indian Guitars, Piano, Bouzouki, Autoharp, Vocals
Phil Barker - Bass
Frank Van Essen - Drums, Percussion, Violins, Vocals
Troy Donockley - Uillean Pipes, Low Whistles, Tin Whistle, Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, E- Bow Guitar, Portuguese Mandola, Harmonium

Special guest:
Billy Jackson - Celtic Harp, Clarsach

I think "Open Sky" is a fine album and it warrants repeated listening. Some may like instantly, but it took me several times and years to finally come to appreciate it. I think the only gripe I have is the opening song "Woven Cord" outstays it's welcome, but some may disagree. The musicianship from Troy and Dave Bainbridge is remarkable, but I think it just went on too long.

Some highlights for me:

"Open Sky" - possibly a more pop-oriented song, but I think it has too much sophistication to be considered a mere "pop song." Joanne sounds beautiful here and the melodies are gorgeous and the chorus is just so infectious

"Castlerigg" - obviously inspired by Irish music, but with that extra touch of Iona modernism that gives the song an ambience that's unlike anything they've done before

"Light Reflected" - such a gorgeous song, again, Joanne sings beautifully with some top-notch support from the band

"Songs Of Ascent" - a three-part suite with some wonderful textures, melodies, chord voicings, I especially liked the climax in the first part which has an underlying melody played by Bainbridge that kind of reminds of "Beachy Head" from "Beyond These Shores" but obviously with some twists

After giving "Open Sky" a fair chance, I hope you will come away with even more admiration for what this astonishing, yet neglected, band has to offer. These are all world-class musicians and they all deserve all the accolades we can give them. Enjoy the music!

"Open Sky" is certainly one of Iona's best albums and may even be the top of the heap. For fans of the band's earlier works, that featured more of a new age-ish atmosphere and sensibility, this one may not do as much for you, as this album de-emphases that aspect of the band and focuses more on the Celtic rock element. To my ears this is a good thing. The album opens with one of the band's strongest tracks ever the rocking progressive 9 minute instrumental opus "Woven Cord". It is a killer instrumental that mixes everything that this band does best......and it rocks. It is interesting reading other reviews of this album. For me this is the point where Iona moved into a direction that I prefer. More rock, less new age, louder guitars, less jazz. The Christian aspect of the band's lyrics is also toned down on this one. It is still there of course, but not quite as straightforward. I like it better, but if you listen to the band mainly for the Christian content you might be disappointed. For me Iona has always been first and foremost a progressive rock band, and the prog aspect of their music is featured here as much as on any of their releases. To my ears "Sky" and their most recent effort "The Circling Hour" are the band's best as they continue to move in a positive direction.